The book El muralismo y los muralistas en Cuba (Mural Painting and Muralists in Cuba), presented by Editorial Boloña, Havana, in digital support, shows an intense and diligent work made by its author, researcher Luis García Peraza.[1]
(…) The author’s motivation is to show information on that artistic production, relegated to the shadows and with so great importance for the history of Cuban art, since it forms part of the integrating images in the architectonic and urban sphere of the so called public art and popular art. To achieve his goals, García Peraza has structured the inquire in a clear and rational way, just as can be appreciated in the book’s index, in which the fundamental aspects developed are specified, as well as the incorporation to the text of other specialists who have worked on the topic. The prologue by Dr. Avelino Couceiro, who with his appraisal contributes value to the present title, is considered of interest.
The author, however, has not transmitted only information —which would in itself be valuable—, but has made a history of the topic; he has incorporated his criteria on it and, all in all, has established a scientific methodology comprising a plurality of sources, a precision of his topic of study and the well- defined purposes of his work, such as: that the development of the mural in Cuba should be known; that its artistic significance in the context of its cultural historical evolution should be studied; that the presence of this symbolic production should be felt in the debate of international congresses; that significant and unknown images should be tracked and shown in many cases to the public; that their conservation and restoration should be promoted; as well as offering first-hand references on its creators in the country.
The main merit of the author, for which he deserves a tribute, has been and is the defense of an artistic expression linked in the 20th century with the Cuban Vanguard and the breath of Mexican mural painting with a revolutionary nature. In this sense, García Peraza appreciates this novel artistic speech, which was presented with a marked social and ideological nature, just because of those features, relegated in their historical context and, unfortunately, not much studied until today.
That is why it is now indispensable to position the mural in the present globalized world, to exhibit its artistic and communicative potentialities and increase another form of aesthetic relation through new looks in this important area of Cuban art, with social nature and a public projection. (…)
[1] See On the Author in the index of this digital book.
